“You sure you don’t want to let Rebran know that you are leaving?”

Ezkael asked, while Calron shuffled his wings and bent down to let Avi climb onto his back.

“No need. We will be back in a few weeks and besides, he still has to deal with his father. I would rather not get involved in the political strife between these two cities.”

Calron seriously responded and began to slowly stand up once he confirmed that Avi was safely nestled on his back.

Ezkael let out a soft sigh but did not comment any further.

“Avi, you ready?”

Calron questioned with a slight tilt of his head.

“woof!”

Avi enthusiastically barked in response. It appeared as if the wolf pup had completely lost her fear of flying.

*SCREEEEE*

With the cry resembling that of an ancient bird, Calron flapped his wings and rapidly rose into the sky, leaving behind only the echoes of his screech.

It was still early in the morning, so very few beasts were roaming within the city and none of them paid much attention to the golden bird in the sky. However, there was a single pair of eyes that calmly followed the trail that Calron was leaving in the air.

……………..

Teacher, do you remember the first few days that we entered these mountains?

Calron abruptly asked Ezkael, as they whizzed through the clouds.

Haha, how could I forget? You were seriously wounded then and were almost about to collapse, but luckily your body healed itself at a rapid pace due to that legacy of yours…

Ezkael replied with nostalgia.

The Blood Legacy… even after all these years I still do not understand it completely.

Calron stated, his azure eyes gazing ahead.

Is that why you have not trained your legacy arts for these past few years?

Ezkael softly asked, pinpointing the dilemma of his student.

Do you think that it’s foolish of me to say that I’m afraid of it? Teacher, look at the way it affected Rebran and even Roran back then when he inherited it. It controls your mind and destroys any traces of rationality and reason. I might be able to mentally subdue it for now, but what about when I break the seals for the fifth or the seventh layer?

Calron quietly sent his thoughts, laying out his worries in front of his Teacher.

Kid, it is natural to be weary of something that you do not understand, but it is equally pointless to run away from a problem that you cannot afford to run away from. The legacy might be dangerous, but that simply means that you just have to be stronger than it in order to subdue it.

Ezkael gently stated to his cherished student.

Sigh… that is easier said than done. How do I train my mind to become stronger?

Calron muttered, continuing to flap his wings in harmony with the flow of the wind, while Avi playfully stuck out her tongue and tried to bite the air.

Hmm, I have a few things that we can try but let’s wait until we return back to the city to test them out.

Ezkael replied while deep in thought.

“awwooo!”

Avi suddenly howled in alarm, startling Calron out of his own thoughts.

Scanning his surroundings, he tried to locate the source of threat that the little wolf pup detected.

There!

Serenely floating above the clouds, was a tall figure with his muscular arms crossed across his chest. What was strange, though, was that not a single wisp of breeze flowed around him. It was almost as if the very wind itself was under the domain of this figure.

“May I ask why the honourable Elder has appeared before us?”

Calron questioned with a slight trace of caution in his voice.

“Forgive me, child, but I was simply curious of your strength and if I had requested a spar back at the city, then Tarnila would have been persistent with her protests.”

The First Elder responded with a small smile.

Even though Calron did not sense any killing intent from the hawk-headed man in front of him, his instincts clearly told him that this being was more dangerous than even the red-haired lady in the Heavenly stage.

“Elder, we both know that I am no match for you. I have somewhere to go, so could you please pardon us?”

Calron requested, seeing no point in fighting a losing battle.

“Have I been in isolated training for so long that the youths of this continent lost their spirit to fight?”

The Elder mumbled to himself, inaudible to Calron and his party.

“Child, what if I offer you something in return for a single session of a spar with me?”

Switching tactics, the Elder tried to entice Calron into a fight.

Strange… why is he so insistent on having a spar with me? He knows that he can beat me, but he still wants to spar. Teacher, what do you make of this?

Calron contemplated, as his eyes suspiciously bore into the mysterious Elder in front of him.

Well, he is clearly not looking to kill you, so he must be either curious about your body or your abilities. I’m intrigued by this Elder. Just accept, Calron!

Ezkael eagerly conveyed, a hint of excitement hidden within his voice.

“Of course you’ll tell me to accept, it’s not like you are taking the beating yourself.”

Calron silently grumbled.

“Fine, I accept. However, we will commence this spar on the ground.”

Calron stated loudly to the Elder. The main reason for Calron insisting on this request was so that Avi would be safe and able to make a quick escape if things turned south.

“Haha, thank you, youngster, for accepting this old man’s request. I am fine with your conditions and I promise to reward you well for indulging me.”

The Elder laughed, gesturing Calron to fly ahead and pick a location.

Goddammit, I just wanted a peaceful trip back to the outer ranges! How did I find myself accepting a fight with an old bird with overbuilding muscles?

Calron lamented with a sigh, as he darted ahead and scoured for a good place to spar.

………………….

—— In an empty and isolated location within the Desolate Mountains ——

“Child, you will have to give it your all, otherwise you might just lose your life.”

The Elder solemnly stated while cracking his knuckles and twisting his feathered neck to loosen it up.

Wait, I thought it was just a spar!? Why am I hearing the prospect of death right now?

However, Calron did not have a second to ponder, as the Elder immediately charged straight at him.

“Heh, he’s surprisingly slow.”

Calron commented when he took note of the Elder’s movements.

Careful, Kid!

Ezkael suddenly bellowed within his mind.

*swooosh*

In an instant, the Elder disappeared mid-charge and Calron felt a violent gust of wind grazing his cheek.

“Huh?”

Before he could even think about dodging, a massive fist was rapidly descending towards his face.